PureVPN Review 2017

PureVPN Review

PureVPN is a virtual private network and their main purpose is to offer online security and privacy. They are located in Honk Kong, a place on the map where data retention laws are not as strict as in the US or the UK and where they are not required to keep traffic logs for their users. This helps them to be true to their word when they say that they are not keeping logs.

Other features that make PureVPN one of the greatest solutions on the market are the Military Grade Encryption, fast servers, and wide network. We’ll discuss all these in more detail along the review but right now we just want to say the, at first glance, PureVPN seems like a worthy partner in the fight against online surveillance.

However, every solution must be tested and this is exactly what we did. We did our testing and drew our conclusions and now we’re sharing them with you. This way, you’ll know if PureVPN is the right VPN solution for your needs.

PureVPN Features

Most VPN providers come with the same offer when it comes to features, but in this PureVPN review we have highlighted some unique ones, to sweeten the deal. Here are some of the most important features you should keep in mind:

Proprietary software for both servers and apps – This means that there will be no third parties involved in handling and processing your data. So, there is no risk of any accidental data releases while the data is being transferred from one part to another.

500+ servers in over 140 countries – Such an extensive network will give you access to any location you need in the world. It is also great for when you’re traveling and want to keep in touch with your routine back home.

5 simultaneous devices – You can log in with the same account from 5 different devices so you’ll be protected on your phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, and Smart TV without any extra money.

Network flexibility – Regardless of the type of package you buy, you will have access to each server in the network. Even more, you can switch between servers for as much as you want – there are no limitations on this.

No bandwidth limits – Some providers try to save some space on their servers by implementing bandwidth limits. The idea is that your speed will go down as you approach the bandwidth limit, but this won’t happen with PureVPN.

Split tunneling – This is one of the unique features we mentioned at the beginning and allows you to divide your online activities between regular ones and ones that need VPN protection. This way, if you don’t want your speed to slow down on certain sites, you can simply let them go through the ISP as they would normally go.

99% uptime – This means that servers will be up all the time. In the case of a malfunction, they have specialized teams that will take care of the problem in the shortest time possible.

Live chat support – It doesn’t matter if it’s day or night, or if work hours are done. The support team is available all the time and they only hire professionals.

WiFi security – Public WiFi hotspots are very convenient but they also lack security and usually have snoopers looking for easy targets. With PureVPN, your data is secured even when you’re using the WiFi hotspot at your favorite coffee place.

Kill Switch – This is an extra safety measure, for the situation when your VPN connection is interrupted. If this happens, PureVPN will kill your connection entirely so your ISP and other network members can’t see what you’re doing online.

NAT Firewall – Another extra measure of protection which allows the VPN to identify possible threats to your anonymity and eliminate them before they become dangerous.

DDoS protection – These attacks are very nasty and they wipe everything in their way so, having a VPN solution that implements DDoS protection is a must.

Virtual router – This is another unique feature that can only be found with PureVPN and it involves turning your Windows-based laptop or desktop into a router which is already protected by PureVPN.

Pricing plans & Packages

Let’s start with one of the most important aspects: the cost of having PureVPN as your VPN provider. We can definitely tell you that prices went down on the last few years.

Currently PureVPN is offering three different pricing plans.

$9.00/month (6 month – $54.00) Save 18%

$11.00/month (1 month – $11.00) No Save

Special Deal Offer: $2.95/month (24 month – $70.80) Save 73%

You can get PureVPN Holiday Deal for just $2.99 per month, billed as one payment for the 2 years – this means $70.80 for 2 years with 7-day money back grantee.

In the end, the conclusion is that the prices are quite great and the wide payment methods are even more impressive, especially for someone who tries to remain as invisible as possible.

Money Back Guarantee

As a first-time user, you have the possibility to back out of a deal with PureVPN in the first 7 days. Their 7 days Money-Back Guarantee gives you the chance to test the VPN service at full capacity for 7 full days and, if you are not happy, you can ask for your money back – no questions asked.

Other providers offer a test account with limited features which will not give you access to the entire experience. That’s why a money back guarantee policy is quite effective.

PureVPN (Speed Test)

Their motto is ‘world’s fastest VPN’. While we can’t actually support this affirmation 100% (we haven’t tested all the VPN services in the world), we can guarantee that PureVPN servers are indeed fast. This is due to their constant software upgrade and strict server maintenance.

Even more, their network is optimized for fast streaming and most of their servers support P2P file sharing networks. And finally, there are no bandwidth limitations so you can download and upload and share as much content as you want.

They also offer multiple security protocols for every connection so you can adjust your speed according to the protocol you’re using (more about this below).

Device compatibility

PureVPN is the type of VPN solution that can work with almost anything. Thus, the available apps work with:

Desktop options

Windows

Mac

Mobile options

Android

iOS

Amazon Fire

ChromeCast

Other options

Gaming consoles

Smart TVs

Routers

TV boxes

Many other devices

So, if you’re using a wide range of devices and you want to make sure you will have VPN access on all of them, PureVPN should be one of the solutions to consider.

PureVPN Server locations

The PureVPN network is wide and covers over 141 countries which can easily bump them up in the top 3 widest VPN networks in the world. Just to make an idea, we noted the number of servers you can find in each of the 6 continents (Antarctica doesn’t get a server, but only because penguins are not interested in online socialization).

PureVPN Client Software & Apps

PureVPN doesn’t offer one client for all the devices it is compatible with, but instead manages to offer a customizable experience. For instance, during the PureVPN review, I observed that when you open your VPN client window, you can select the type of activity you want to perform. There are 5 options and they cover streaming, online anonymity, security, file sharing and remote connectivity (for when you’re trying to connect to your home or work network).

The great part is that you can switch between options whenever you want. Otherwise each app is light, compact and easy to understand. Once the client is installed, you will be asked to select the security protocol you want to use and the country you want to connect to. All this doesn’t require more than 2 minutes of your time.

First, you’d have to sign up for a PureVPN account. Once subscribed successfully, you will receive two emails: One related to your billing, log-in credentials and the second related to how to setup PureVPN.

PureVPN Setup Download

Now log-in to your PureVPN account and download the client for your operating system (we’ve selected Windows).

Run the setup wizard to install the client.

PureVPN Windows Client

After the PureVPN setup wizard process, you can sign in using your login credentials you received in your welcome email.

Instead of having a generic single client for its users, the PureVPN client has introduced multiple options to get a customized experience which means you can use the VPN software according to your need in the particular session.

You can choose from Stream, Security/Privacy, Internet Freedom, File Sharing, or Remote/DEDI IP.

As I said earlier, you can choose different purposes according to your requirement. In this PureVPN review I will not be testing all the options given above in the image. I have selected the option of Security/Privacy feature which I think is the most trustworthy options.

Once the ‘customized experience’ selection process is completed, “Click Next”, and select the desired protocol for security and encryption. The most interesting thing I found in PureVPN that it offers six security protocols (i.e. PPTP, L2TP, SSTP, OpenVPN [TCP, UDP], and IKEv2 for effective speed and security.

Server Location, It has huge Network of VPN servers which covers over 141 countries of the world. Also, they have clearly specified those servers that supports P2P file sharing.

Throughout the testing period of PureVPN review, I connected to various VPN servers locations, starting from Australian server. After successful connection is established, you will be presented with a screen like the one presented below, which clearly displays the IP address and location.

Security & Privacy Policy

Since they are based in Hong Kong, they offer a very transparent privacy policy. There will be no traffic logs kept, but there will be some information stored for maintenance and support. PureVPN can’t be forced by Western laws to provide agencies with any users’ information and even if they could be forced, they won’t have any information to offer.

In terms of security, PureVPN implements multiple security protocols, starting with the lower on security (PPTP and L2TP/IPSec) and moving to ones that are more actual and secure like OpenVPN and IKEv2. The client is equipped with Automatic Protocol Selection feature for less tech savvy users, but you can always change the default protocol with a quick click.

Customer support

The customer support team is up and running at any hour, any day of the year. You can get in touch with professionals via instant chat – in the bottom right corner of your screen when you visit their site. There is also an extensive knowledge database, tutorials, and FAQ to help you out.

Conclusion

In the end of PureVPN review, our conclusion is that, regardless of your needs, PureVPN can be the right choice for you. They have fast servers, a wide network, great features, and amazing clients to help you out along the way.

The level of security is impressive and the fact that you have control over the entire experience earned them a lot of points. The interface is user-friendly and the support team is absolutely amazing when you need help.

Kristen Michelle is a Security Evangelist and Managing Editor at VPNLogics. She spends most of her time in writing and researching about online security and privacy and helps others to raise awareness.